Carrot Patch Kids Provides an Environment Where Children Can Learn in a Safe and Fun Space

For a child, getting a good head-start in their education can be the determining factor in whether they are able to succeed or struggle in their future studies. At the Carrot Patch Early Learning Center, that is exactly what they aim to provide. Opened in 2005 by a mother-daughter team, the Carrot Patch embodies everything you could truly want in an early learning facility- family, community, and the best educational programs available in the area.

At the Carrot Patch, they believe in utilizing nature to foster children's education and imagination. They do this through a beautiful wooded outdoor classroom, complete with a babbling stream. "Children at the Carrot Patch engage in hands-on learning and exploration," explains Suzanne Miller, Administrative Director. "Kids at this age are concrete learners, and they need to engage the world with their five senses."

The Carrot Patch does things a little differently than many other local learning centers. "There are no screens, no tablets, no computers at our school. We don't watch videos about nature. We investigate the real thing," Miller details.

"Our preschoolers have done some amazing projects, from building Inuit stone sculptures and a life-size igloo out of milk jugs to a full-scale artist study. Children even had a chance to try various techniques from Calder-like sculptures to a Jackson Pollock paint-splatter booth culminating in an art opening with wine (grape juice) and cheese for the parents."

While nature-based learning is just starting to draw the attention of educators in the United States, Miller states there is actually quite a lot of science behind it. "I can't begin to say enough about the impact on children from regular exposure to the natural world," she tells us. "Research has shown significant benefits in every area of their development: physical, cognitive, and emotional. Even troubled children become calmer and better able to focus if they have a chance to explore in nature."

Each and every staff member of the Carrot Patch has been hand-selected and fully vetted; with each teacher holding a Bachelor's or Master's Degree. Miller affirms they offer an individualized, developmentally-appropriate curriculum featuring the inquiry-based Bank Street educational model. Classroom sizes are small, ensuring each student gets the optimal amount of attention they require to fully succeed.

"We are proud of the Carrot Patch because it is a small community of genuinely happy, engaged children and their families," states Miller. "I believe what our children experience at the Carrot Patch creates an exceptional foundation for their future educations and at least a little piece of the magic will stay with them for a lifetime!"